Volkswagen Tiguan vs Ford Explorer

The SUV segment is saturated with well-built and styled vehicles, so Volkswagen and Ford decidedly made the decision more difficult this year with the release of two comparable vehicles: the Volkswagen Tiguan vs. Ford Explorer. Which one of these SUVs will suit your needs?

For drivers around the Oklahoma City, Norman, and Edmond areas, the experts at Oklahoma City Volkswagen wrote this comparison of the VW Tiguan vs. Ford Explorer to help you to drive away with the car that fits your lifestyle.

VW Tiguan vs Ford Explorer: Interior Design

With an abundance of cargo space in the VW Tiguan interior, the vehicle has more than enough room for a weekend away. VW also decided to improve a usually awkward action, folding the rear seats, by moving the seat release levers to the cargo area.

Ford hasn’t really altered the overall design of this generation in the Explorer lineup since its release in 2011. When compared to the complete sculpting of the Volkswagen Tiguan, few improvements have been made to the Explorer—color-keyed carpeted floor mats and a well-integrated infotainment center called SYNC® are a couple of the mentionable updates.

For easy access to stored cargo, the Volkswagen Tiguan interior has available a hands-free liftgate that makes packing easier than ever. You only have to kick your foot under the rear bumper to unlock and open the liftgate. To close, simply walk away with the key in your pocket and the VW Tiguan will do the rest.

You won’t want to leave the cockpit with an available leather-wrapped, multi-function heated steering wheel combined with optional Vienna leather seating and dual-zone automatic climate control.

Gas Mileage and Efficiency

The 2019 VW Tiguan is powered by a 2.0L TSI® turbocharged engine while the 2019 Explorer comes standard with a rather inefficient 3.5L Ti-VCT. One component we enjoy about the VW Tiguan design is its ability to house an overwhelmingly strong drivetrain while retaining its EPA-estimated 22 city/29 highway MPG.*

Compared to the Explorer model’s 17 city/24 highway MPG, there’s an apparent contender for the consumer looking for a formidable SUV that doesn’t leave you digging in your pockets for gas money.

Not only does the 2019 VW Tiguan come available with an efficient, powerful engine, it also has an 8-speed automatic transmission for a uniquely smooth shifting experience. When you switch the vehicle into Tiptronic® mode, you can shift manually to take better control of your driving experience. The Explorer only comes available with a 6-speed SelectShift® automatic transmission, limiting variability in driver experience and shifting capability.

VW Tiguan vs Ford Explorer: Safety Features

While both vehicles offer updated safety features, the VW Tiguan has substantially more and better-refined systems. VW understands the importance of driver and passenger safety in the event of an accident. That’s why VW designed crumple zones around a safety cage to distribute impact force away from the main cabin, helping protect the driver and passengers.

Unfortunately, the Ford Explorer lacks any worthwhile updates to its safety suite. The only notable differences are the Ford available AdvanceTrac® with Roll Stability Control™ (RSC®) and optional inflatable rear outboard safety belts.

The VW Tiguan takes the Ford road type adaptability and furthers it with available 4MOTION® technology, which allows the driver to choose from four driving modes for different weather and road conditions. The suite even offers a custom off-road mode where you can customize parameters like steering and engine power distribution to help ensure you’re safe and stable on whatever terrain you choose to explore.

Choosing the Car for You

Our comparison of the VW Tiguan vs. Ford Explorer clearly presents these two SUVs as comfortable, efficiently powerful, well-built, and well-equipped. However, we at Oklahoma City Volkswagen think drivers near the Oklahoma City, Norman, and Edmond areas would appreciate the robust offerings of the 2019 VW Tiguan.